


Sickness and Comfort

by lolahardy



Series: From Dark to Light [18]
Category: Inception (2010)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Stripper/Exotic Dancer, Comfort, Developing Relationship, Domestic Fluff, M/M, Strippers & Strip Clubs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-28
Updated: 2014-07-28
Packaged: 2018-02-10 18:15:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,894
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2035095
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lolahardy/pseuds/lolahardy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eames gets sick. Arthur takes care of him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sickness and Comfort

**Author's Note:**

> Beta-ed by the wonderful [Leesha](http://darlingleesha.tumblr.com)!

The first time Eames got very ill, scared Arthur a lot.

Over the course of a few days, Eames had come home more run down and exhausted than before, his appetite lacking and complaining of aches. He would wave them off though, saying he was just tired but finally one morning, he was still in bed when Arthur woke.

Arthur didn’t know if it was good or bad to see Eames still in bed, he rarely missed work without telling Arthur he was staying and he was still asleep, which was Arthur’s biggest worry. He sat up on his knees and leaned over to Eames, his back to him as he placed his hand on his shoulder, feeling how hot he was. Eames was usually a radiator. warm and comforting, but now he was scalding, his skin burning up as Arthur placed his hand on his forehead. When Eames opened his eyes, he looked exhausted as if he hadn’t slept at all, sweat forming at his brow, his face pale and Arthur frowned, leaning down to kiss Eames’ bare shoulder as he said,

“You’re burning up.”

“I feel awful.”

“Ok, stay here, I’ll make you some tea. Do you think you can have it?”

Eames nodded and Arthur got up and got out of bed, pausing to pull the sheets back over Eames and then rushed to the kitchen. He wasn’t really sure what to do, he had never taken care of anyone before except himself, and he usually liked to sleep off whatever was bothering him after taking some aspirin and drinking orange juice. As he waited for the kettle to go off, he checked the fridge, seeing water; both sparkling and bottled, wine, some sport drinks, yogurt, leftovers and the usual things like eggs, butter and milk. Their food wasn’t the healthcare kind either, just a lot of the stuff they usually snacked on but nothing like toast, soup and juice. Arthur sighed to himself and once the tea was done, he served it then let it cool as he checked the medicine cabinet.

There was hardly any medicine to speak, some allergy and headache stuff but that was the extent of it. He would have to go to the store.

He brought the tea to Eames and set it on the nightstand. Seeing he was asleep again, Arthur dressed in his sweats and Cambridge hoodie, leaving a note before he left and grabbed his wallet, phone and keys.

        He came back an hour later, canvas bag full now of everything he needed to take care of Eames. He set the bag down in the kitchen first and then went to check on Eames, seeing him sitting up now, looking bleary eyed, flushed and groggy still. His hair was a mess and he sniffled as he leaned back against the headboard.

“Hi. I hurried back as soon as I could.”

Eames nodded, his skin pale except for the high points on his face; nose, cheeks, tips of his ears. He trembled in pain and he looked unhappy. Arthur went to his side, sitting down and looked over at the tea cup, most of it drunk, the remains cold.

“I brought some stuff, tissues, medicine...I’ll get them.”

Eames nodded again and it seemed if that took tremendous force for him to do so. Arthur got up and went to the kitchen again, putting away the bottles of orange juice, removing the boxes of medicine, the tissues and dumping out the rest of the stuff to make chicken soup, crackers and bread. He brought the medicine and tissues back to the bedroom, urging Eames to lay back down as he opened the box and gave it to him and asked,

“Do you want something to eat? I brought stuff for soup and some crackers.”

Eames pulled a tissue out and dabbed his nose as he sniffled again.

“Not yet. I just want to sleep.”

“Ok.”

He let Eames get comfortable and once he was asleep, he went to shower.

Once he came back, clean and refreshed, he went to the bedroom again checking on Eames and he saw him awake again.

“Hi.”

He smiled warmly at Eames, seeing no improvement so he didn’t ask how he felt. Eames began to pull him into bed and Arthur gave in (no sense in fighting him) and crawled beside him, lying down, feeling Eames shaking as if he was cold, his arms heavy on Arthur, heat still coming off him in waves. Arthur frowned a bit and kissed his throat, slipping his arms under Eames’, rubbing his back as he asked,

“Baby? You’re shivering.”

“Cold…”

Arthur kept kissing his throat, his hand still rubbing at his back. He stayed that way for a while, the silence punctuated now and then by Eames’ sniffling until finally Arthur heard his even, though loud breathing. When he looked at him again, Eames’ mouth was hanging open, his nose probably too stuffy for him to breathe normally. His eyes were closed and he still looked as if he was suffering despite being asleep. Arthur eased out of his embrace slowly, not wanting to wake Eames and once free, he went to the kitchen to prepare the soup.

He felt bad having to wake him again, but he knew Eames needed something in his stomach before trying to give him medicine. He didn’t want to risk a bad spill so he brought the soup in a mug and placed it on the nightstand before waking Eames and helping him sit up.

“Do you think you can hold this?”

He held up the cup and Eames licked his lips, chapped and dry.

“Maybe.”

He sounded so tired and weak that it elicited a feeling of sympathy in Arthur’s chest. He frowned a little and held it out for him, watching Eames take it slowly. He trembled a little, but steadied himself and settled it on his lap. Arthur only left once more to get his own soup then sat down with Eames, both of them sipping - Eames sniffling now and then and once his stomach was full, Arthur gave him some aspirin and then began to make him lie down again.

“Get some rest. I’ll be right here.”

“Stay with me.”

Arthur nodded, getting in bed with him again and let Eames hold him as he dozed off.

        It must have been hours. Eames slept soundly and Arthur played every app on his phone and watched some movies. When Eames woke up again, he wanted to shower, insisting it would help so Arthur assisted him to the bathroom, then hovered by the door, an ear out to listen for anything Eames might need or in case he fell or something.

Arthur had never felt so worried about anyone taking a shower in his life.

When Eames came out, wearing his robe now, the scent of sickness now gone from him but he still had the sickly palor to him. His sniffling had seized though a cough developed deep from his chest. He got back in bed, taking off the robe and lying down again, Arthur draping himself over him as he listened to the raspiness of his breathing, coughs racking through him now and then, sniffling accompanying it as he reached for a tissue. Arthur prayed the morning would bring back his health.

The next morning, Eames was no better, so Arthur continued his caretaking, bringing him soup and giving him orange juice and sharing crackers with him to help. They took a shower together, Arthur holding him under the spray, hoping the hot water would help when Eames coughed now and then. Afterwards, they dried off and Eames slept more. When he woke again, Arthur gave him more water and juice along with some toast and he talked to Eames, about nothing, about the movies he saw, about some of the gossip he read on the internet. Eames was listening though Arthur could tell he was tired.

Arthur took away the now empty plate covered in crumbs and set it on the nightstand. He got back in bed with Eames urging him to rest more. Eames layed on his stomach as Arthur rubbed his back and let his fingers run through his hair, seeing his face still flushed though, his temperature had gone down considerably.

        Arthur’s still worried by the late evening. Eames had slept and slept and slept and hardly moved so Arthur had to keep checking to make sure he was breathing and hadn’t suffocated. Around four in the morning, Eames woke up and Arthur had been dozing when Eames was asleep so he sat up as Eames yawned.

“Are you ok?”

“Bathroom.”

Arthur nodded and resisted the urge to follow him and just stayed in bed, watching Eames’ naked figure pad slowly to the bathroom, open the door, step in and then close the door behind him. He returned a few moments later, the flush of water and the tap turning on then shutting off following before the door opened and the light shut off as Eames returned. He got into bed, yawning again and turned to Arthur.

“I’m feeling a bit better.”

“Good.”

“How long was I out? I felt like I slept for years.”

“Two days.”

Eames hummed as he touched Arthur’s arm.

“I’m starved.”

“I can make you something.”

“Thank you, pet.”

Arthur slowly got up and padded to the kitchen, a little disoriented from having his sleeping schedule thrown off and being woken up again. Once in the kitchen, he reheated the leftover soup and brought some crackers along with it. He tucked a bottle of water under his arm and went back to the bedroom to see Eames still up, the light now on. Arthur could see the color was returning to him, his breathing now almost normal. He accepted the bowl of soup and Arthur gave him the water too.

“You must be exhausted from tending to me. I hope you don’t get sick too.”

Arthur smiled a little, shaking his head a bit as he said,

“No, it’s ok. I was worried about you.”

“I’m sorry, love.”

“Don’t be. Eat, eat.”

Eames did.

They watched a movie on Arthur’s phone until dawn and Arthur fell asleep on Eames’ shoulder. When he woke up again, Eames was absent from their bed, though the sheets were still warm. Instantly, Arthur picked himself up, his hair a mess, a crick in his neck as he climbed out and went looking for Eames.

He found him in the kitchen, making coffee while he talked on the phone, a business call from the sound it. One could hardly tell he had been sick, his color back, his cough gone, only a slight sniffle spacing out his words when he spoke. He wore his robe and his boxer briefs as he stirred a spoon in his coffee and Arthur sighed a bit, glad he was better. When Eames saw him, he smiled and ended his call before turning to Arthur.

“Good morning, love. How are you?”

“I’m fine. I see you’re better.”

Eames nodded and Arthur went to him, sliding his arms under his robe, holding him close as he kissed him, having missed being able to do that.

“You took good care of me. Thank you so much Arthur.”

“You’re welcome.”

Arthur sighed again in relief.


End file.
